


Good and Dutiful

by celeste9



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 12:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1551083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leon is forced to go on a journey with Gwaine, at Arthur's request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good and Dutiful

**Author's Note:**

> This is a result of the fact that clea2011 and deinonychus_1 are horrible enablers. Be assured it could have been much crackier than this. *g* For 'road trip' on my trope_bingo card.

“Yes, sire,” Leon had said when Arthur told him he had a task for him.

“Yes, sire,” Leon had said when Arthur told him he needed to journey across Camelot.

“Yes, sire,” Leon had said when Arthur told him he would be accompanied by Gwaine.

Leon had said, “Yes, sire,” because he was a good and dutiful knight who always did what was asked of him, no matter what it was.

Sometimes, though, Leon fervently wished that he was a great deal less good and dutiful.

-

Gwaine was neither good nor dutiful. Gwaine was loud and obnoxious and annoying. He liked to get drunk on alcohol bought by everyone but himself and pass out in places where he wasn’t invited (sometimes this meant Leon’s bed, much to Leon’s displeasure). He was uncommonly untidy and prone to showing off without his shirt on.

Gwaine was one of Leon’s brothers, and Leon loved him as such, but no one ever said you had to _like_ all your brothers. He was all right in small doses, or when Leon could ignore him or walk away from him when he got too aggravating.

Unfortunately, neither of those options were currently at Leon’s disposal.

-

At first, Leon thought he could discourage Gwaine from talking by responding only with one-word answers. However, this would have required Gwaine to be a much better listener than he was.

Then Leon thought he could just remain quiet. He did balk at the rudeness of such a path but he was desperate. Of course, that wasn’t any good, either, as Gwaine could easily - and quite happily, it seemed - carry on a conversation entirely on his own.

Leon attempted to subtly hint that they might like to remain quiet in case there were bandits or the like around. Gwaine actually got a bit louder after that and proclaimed that he could use a good fight. He also said that Leon might benefit as well as perhaps it might dislodge the stick from up his arse. Gwaine’s words, not Leon’s. Obviously.

When night fell, Leon thought he might finally get a respite.

As it happened, Gwaine both snored and talked in his sleep.

-

The tree branch was really quite unlucky. Well, for Gwaine, at least.

Leon rather welcomed the silence brought by Gwaine’s unconsciousness.

-

“Did you hit me with a tree branch?” Gwaine asked when he came to.

“I’m afraid you must have hit your head quite hard to think anything of the sort,” Leon said.

Gwaine rubbed the back of his head gingerly, wincing. “I thought--”

Leon shushed him. “That’s all right. I’m sure you must be feeling cloudy at the moment, after all that. It was an accident, nothing more. The branch was dangerously low-hanging and I’m afraid I couldn’t warn you in time. I’ve since cut it down, so no one else will be bothered by it.”

“Good of you.” Gwaine was still watching Leon with faintly narrowed eyes, still slightly dazed.

“A quiet ride back to the castle will set you right, I’m sure.”

“Right,” Gwaine muttered.

“I can manage on my own, so Arthur needn’t worry. And you needn’t, either. You just concentrate on feeling better. Your health is the most important thing.”

“Right,” Gwaine said again.

Leon gave Gwaine his most reassuring smile because he was a good and dutiful friend.

-

Leon watched the shape of Gwaine’s horse vanish into the distance, down the road back to Camelot.

The remainder of the trip was blissfully quiet.

**_End_ **


End file.
